Consent to Medical Assistance in Dying vs. Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatment

The cases before the court of Shalom Ouanounou and Taquisha McKitty[i] focus on the declaration of brain death and the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment without consent. I will not address the issue of declaration of brain death as that lies outside my scope of practice, but rather will comment on consent issues as they relate to end-of-life decision-making. The law makes clear that consent is a sufficient condition for the….

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Uncategorized

What to do when a loved one dies?

Believe it or not, this is the title of a recent release from the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”). Is there really a softer side to the CRA? Let’s face there is a lot to do after a loved one dies, and a lot of it not related to tax. But from experience, it does not take long for the subject to come up, which reminds me of the time I….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Administration, Executors, In the News, Tax Issues

Death and TOSI Part 2: Spouses

My past two blogs have looked at the December 13, 2017 draft legislation that amends and expands the tax on split income (“TOSI”) rules. In my last blog I outlined some of the special rules that apply (in the context of TOSI) to income and gains on property that is acquired as a consequence of death. A further special rule relates specifically to spouses. If an amount qualifies as an….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Tax Issues

Ready to Rumble: Law of Trusts vs. Law of Contracts

This Blog was written by : Peter Meitanis   In a battle that dates back to the Medieval Ages, two bitter rivals are back at it again. The location of the latest bout is British Columbia’s Court of Appeal. Get your popcorn ready folks. Trust law is out for blood, citing the duty to account and the rule in Saunders v. Vautier. The Law of Contracts has some heavy hitters….

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Contracts, In the News, Uncategorized

The Utility (or lack thereof) of Extrinsic Evidence When Interpreting a Will

This blog is written by Ronald Neal, student-at-law. Can one rely on extrinsic evidence (i.e. evidence that relates to a will but is not contained in it) to establish the intentions of a testator? This was a question recently considered by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Campbell v. Evert [1]. Background Dr. Ewert had two children, Monica and Peter. Dr. Ewert passed away on February 7, 2011. In 1990, Dr…..

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Estate Litigation, Uncategorized

Medical assistance in dying

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) was asked whether medical assistance in dying would be considered a medical service for the purpose of the medical expense tax credit (METC).  Not surprising, their answer was yes. In their view, the services for medical assistance in dying are medical services for the purpose of the METC when they are provided by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner as set out in the Criminal….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Elder Care, Executors, Geriatric Care Management, Trustee
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